The Elk Pens in Harriman State Park is an occasional start / end destination for Harriman Hikers Sunday Hikes. The Elk Pens in Harriman State Park is rich in local history and is conveniently near the Appalachian Trail and other trails used on our hikes.
From Harriman Trails, a Guide and History (First Edition), by William J. Myles:
Tag Archive for 'Harriman State Park'Page 2 of 3
Spruce Pond is in Harriman State Park, NY quite near Sterling State Forest, NY; so close, in fact, Yahoo Maps says Spruce Pond is in Harriman State Park, while Google Maps doesn’t indicate Spruce Pond being in either Harriman State Park or Sterling Forest!
Spruce Pond has a natural shoreline about 3/4 around its perimeter, but the SE end is built up with a quite lovely, small natural-stone dam.
Spring is currently well under way in the lower Hudson Valley! Surely you have taken note that the Forsythia has bloomed in all its golden glory; many of the other tree species in the area are showing leaf blooms which will soon turn the hills and mountainsides the lush greens of Summer we all love. (photo by Mary Jockel)
It’s late September and the leaves are just starting to change here in north New Jersey and the lower Hudson Valley in New York State. Fall officially began on Monday, September 22, 2008, at 11:44:16 EDT (15:44:16 UCT) and in a matter of weeks going forward, the foliage in our part of the country will peak to its show of brilliant Autumn colors everywhere, before the Winter fallow period begins shortly afterward. A little like people on Saturday night! 
Notice how the bright Fall colors are still mixed with the remaining lush Summer greenery. Interesting time of year, no?
This post also serves to highlight the fact that while Harriman Hikers most frequently hikes its namesake, Harriman State Park, NY, we also hike in other wilderness parks and reserves / preserves in the area, such as Ramapo Reservation, a Bergen County Park, located a short distance from our weekly meetup at Ramapo College of New Jersey in Mahwah, NJ.
Content from Harriman Hikers May 18, 2008 Hike
Harriman Hikers May 18, 2008 Hike | Harriman State Park, NY
The photo below is a view of Pine Meadow Lake in Harriman State Park, NY from Diamond Mountain.
Harriman Hikers spends a significant amount of time in the Summer hiking to and at Island Pond in Harriman State Park, NY. The photo below is from the south end of the “pond” near Island Pond Road.
Lake Skanati in Harriman State Park, NY is one of the Seven Lakes for which the main park thoroughfare, Seven Lakes Drive is named.
The boat launch / parking lot located at Lake Skannatati provides convenient, plentiful parking for our group as well as easy access to several trails we hike on frequently, not to mention allowing us an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the lake itself.
Lake Skannatati is pictured here as the last withering bit of golden daylight falls on the reeds to the far right, while most of the rest of the lake is already bathed in twilight.
Green Pond is a pristine mountain pond in the northern part of Harriman State Park, about a 45 minute hike in from the Elk Pens. Note the beaver lodge on the right. The top photo was taken in the Winter and featured on our homepage; the lower photo was taken in the Summer.
